Looking to buy a new LCD...17-19", $500-$700

[eLiu]

Edit: For gaming...is there any reason to go 18 or 19"? Seems like a lot of reviewers (like Tom's or Anandtech) really seem to love the new 16ms 17" monitors. The BenQ FP767-12 and the Samsung SyncMaster 172X seem to come very highly recommended...

I mean, I'm using a 17" CRT right now, so a 17" LCD will already be a good increase in size...hmmm

Hey all,
I'm in the market to get a LCD...I've been on CRTs for as long as I can remember...since I was like 4 or 5 (I'm 18 now). I figure it's time to make the switch

Anyhow, I'm going to be taking this thing to college with me. I want a 17 to 19" screen, and my budget is $700 tops, but <$600 would be preferable. I like to play a hodge podge of games...from like, Midieval: Total War to Far Cry to Knights of the Old Republic. But since this screen will have to serve me at school, I also want something with nice, sharp text for my many hours of essay-writing, google-searching fun...

I've been doing some reading, but I'm having trouble figuring this one out...is it better to have a 17" with a 16ms response time...or a 19" with 25ms? Can't seem to find any (inexpensive) 19s with the short response times.

Also, it seems like all the rave is about the Dell 2001FP...are Dell's 18 or 19" screens just as good? Other than that, people say Hitachi and Samsung are good...but it's hard differentiating everything w/all the models available (sometimes I hate having such a huge selection...)

Thanks,
-Eric

 

[wifi4lyfe]

dude put another $60 in and wait for the 2001FP to go on sale. Its very fast (16ms) so it can play all your games, plus its HUGE and can run crazy resolutions. good for reselling also probably.

best value++

 

[eLiu]

Originally posted by: wifi4lyfe
dude put another $60 in and wait for the 2001FP to go on sale. Its very fast (16ms) so it can play all your games, plus its HUGE and can run crazy resolutions. good for reselling also probably.

best value++

That's just the thing...it isn't my money to spend--this is a graduation gift from my father. And $700 is the ceiling he gave me...it's really more like $600, but extend up $100 if there's something *really* worth having.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Here's an idea for you, I just got this in today and it's a sweet 16ms 17" LCD Hitachi CML174B It's $429.01 to your door, the penny is for the one business day 3yr advanced replacement warranty Your dad will be stoked because of the awesome warranty, and it even has a 30 day money back guarantee and free shipping. Then you could use the difference of approx. $170 for a raptor or something else cool you want. BTW, no dead/stuck pixels and it's very sleek with a small footprint.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

I spent a lot of time looking and eventually chose the VP171B. One of the priciest 17" LCDs but it is by far the most adjustable (a feature you'll sorely miss with most other LCDs) and has the same quick response time as a lot of other 16ms panels.

I play games on it and don't notice any ghosting. It's definitly there if you look for it, but during a game, you forget it's there at all. Too bad too, because firing up solitaire to show a chick how your LCD doesn't ghost at all really helps you score.

 

[eLiu]

Hmm...this is all great input guys

If I go the 17" route, I'm leaning toward the Hitachi CML174B or the SAMSUNG 172X. I've been seeing great things about both of these panels.

For 18"...the Dell 1801FP seems good, I think? It's a 25ms response time though (just like all teh other 18/19 im lookin at), so I don't know how noticeable that is for games.

For 19", HITACHI CML190SXWB, BenQ FP951 (lots of good ratings here too...and only $539--as much as the Samsung 172X), or SAMSUNG 192T.

Arg! So many choices...

Would 18 or 19" even be worth it? I mean, my current 17" CRT is 16" viewable, and I run 1280x1024 on it--looks a little small, but it's ok. So increasing my viewable area by an inch should definitely be good, shouldn't it?

I'm kinda leaning toward one of the higher end 17" models now..b/c seems like they'd be much higher quality than the low-middle end large screens that I can afford.

-Eric

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: eLiu
I'm kinda leaning toward one of the higher end 17" models now..b/c seems like they'd be much higher quality than the low-middle end large screens that I can afford.

-Eric

My only advice from here would be to buy from a company with a good return policy. The 172X, had that for a bit, is especially renound for dead and stuck pixels. The Hitachi, had that one too, was fine though it had a pretty thick bezel and a fugly round stand.

I'd definitly suggest narrowing your search to 17" and the decision won't be so overwhelming. Well, it will still be, but at least that big decision will be out of the way and the 17's are more popular so you'll find plenty of reviews.

 

[eLiu]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor

Originally posted by: eLiu
I'm kinda leaning toward one of the higher end 17" models now..b/c seems like they'd be much higher quality than the low-middle end large screens that I can afford.

-Eric

My only advice from here would be to buy from a company with a good return policy. The 172X, had that for a bit, is especially renound for dead and stuck pixels. The Hitachi, had that one too, was fine though it had a pretty thick bezel and a fugly round stand.

I'd definitly suggest narrowing your search to 17" and the decision won't be so overwhelming. Well, it will still be, but at least that big decision will be out of the way and the 17's are more popular so you'll find plenty of reviews.

Hmm...sounds like sound advice to me...hehe I'm going to add your suggestion (VP171B) to the list too...did some reading on that...looks impressive as well. I'm thinking of that Hitachi b/c of the current hot deal at monitorsdirect.com. Has a great warranty--that 3 year, next-day replacement makes me very happy...and the $400 pricetag is even better.

But yeah, right now I'm really thinking of sticking with the 17s.

-Eric

Edit: Hero, could you link me to some reports of dead pixels with the Samsung? I'm looking at some retailers (e.g. Newegg) and reviewers (e.g. Tom's Hardware), and most are singing praises over the 172X with it's 12ms. Then again, I'm finding tons of praise for your viewsonic too...and in all honesty I don't think I can tell the difference btwn 12 and 16, lol.

Edit2: Hero, sorry to keep bugging you...but how bad is the your viewsonic in resolutions like 800x600 or 1024x768? I usually game at those levels b/c well, things run smoother there than say, 1280x1024...